What is EMDR Anyway? A Beginner’s Guide

Apr 19

Are you thinking about starting EMDR? Maybe you have heard of the acronym and hearing of the success your friends or family are having. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, childhood trauma, stage freight, low self-esteem or maybe you are just curious what the hype is all about, this beginner’s guide to EMDR will help walk you through what to expect.

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a type of therapy that was developed to help people process traumatic memories, which then led into more research. Now EMDR is used to treat many different mental health issues— anxiety, OCD, depression, low self-esteem, phobias, grief and more!

Unlike typical talk therapy, EMDR uses bilateral stimualtion. This stimulation can be done by 3 different modalities: headphones (tones), light bar (eye movement), and/or (everyone’s favorite) buzzies (tactile). These bilateral movements help mimic REM sleep, which is where our brain reprocesses memories. When we mimic REM sleep in EMDR, we are helping our brain reprocess memories and/or negative thought patterns. Most people find relief in their symptoms within the first 3 EMDR sessions!

How Does EMDR Work?

Memories are stored in our brains with the original sight, smells, picture, sounds. We experience many negative symptoms like anxiety, depression or negative beliefs when we are triggered by “stuck” memories. With EMDR’s 8 phased approach, our brain reprocesses the stuck memories where we are able to think about the event without having any “charged” feelings or triggers. The memory simply can just be a memory!